Sahara extremist group once loyal to al-Qaida pledges allegiance to Islamic State group

May 14, 2015 1:56 PM

22
0

RABAT, Morocco – An extremist group based in the Sahara desert known for carrying out terror attacks in Algeria, Mali and Niger has pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group after years with the rival al-Qaida.

In an audio recording sent to a Mauritanian news agency late Wednesday that has received its statements in the past, the Mourabitoune group declared its allegiance to Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, whose group rules over large sections of Syria and Iraq.